Short Takes – 9-16-25 – Space Geek Edition

What’s the Plan for ‘Golden Dome’? Even Experts Aren’t Sure. ScientificAmerican.com article. Pull quote: “Fielding more ICBMs or augmenting them with countermeasures, for example, is cheap compared with the cost of building any conceivable missile defense system. To protect against one or two slow-moving ICBMs, which could launch from many different sites, hundreds of interceptors would be needed; for fast-moving missiles, thousands would be required to ensure a high chance of interception. And similar to the Starlink satellite constellations that provide lightning-fast global broadband Internet coverage, Golden Dome’s fleet of interceptors in low-Earth orbit would gradually decay without regular (and expensive) replenishment as atmospheric drag pulled individual spacecraft back down to fiery reentries.”

SDA picks GMV to build next-generation space safety system. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote : ““However, in order to do this, as an industry, we must share data! If we don’t, we will remain in the current status quo, where data is ultimately fragmented within different SSA systems. A unified approach will bring all relevant data into one central place where data can be vetted, converted into a common frame, fused and made available whenever it is required.””

To lead in space, we must go all-in on our industrial base. SpaceNews.com commentary. Pull quote: “From my perspective, there are three reform priorities we must address urgently if we want to scale-up commercial integration to win the second space race. First, we must standardize and accelerate the security clearance process for emerging space companies, this is a major bottleneck. Second, we need to expand rapid contracting authorities that work for small businesses, not just the primes. And third, we must push for consistent, more accessible follow-on funding pathways so more companies can scale their value quickly. These steps would unleash innovation that is currently being stifled by bureaucracy.”

Military spending and direct-to-device competition are reshaping the space economy. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Demand for sovereign space capabilities continues to broaden. While the United States, China, Japan, Russia and France continue to lead the pack, another 89 countries are investing in space systems. Their combined 2024 budgets reached $135 billion. Of the total, defense spending accounted for $73 billion compared with $62 billion for civil space.”

Vast backs new NASA commercial space station strategy. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Some in industry argue Vast benefits from the change, since it is developing Haven-1, a single-module station designed for four-person crews on several missions totaling about 40 days. Haot said the company is not altering its plans, which already included a larger Haven-2 station intended to support NASA. He emphasized Vast’s commitment to long-term human presence.”

Spaceflight accelerates the aging of human blood-forming stem cells. Reuters.com article. Pull quote: “"Stem cell regenerative capacity was diminished but with some variability between bone marrow donors, suggesting that anti-aging resilience factors are activated in stem cells from some individuals but not others," said Dr. Catriona Jamieson, a professor of medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute at the university, senior author of the study published this month in the journal Cell Stem Cell.”

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS could be turning bright green, surprising new photos reveal. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “Avi Loeb, an astronomer at Harvard University who is renowned for studying interstellar objects for possible signs of alien technology, has another explanation. On his personal blog, he wrote that the color could be caused by cyanide, which was spotted in the comet's coma in late August by the Very Large Telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert.”